Refrigerator door



May 17, 19.32. I I w. G. SEEGER 1,858,906

' REFRIGERATOR DooR Filed Dec. 14. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 17, 1932.w. e. SEEGER 1,358,906

' REFRIGERATOR boon 7 Filed Dec. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May17, 1932 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE" v WALTER G. SEEGER, OF ST. PAUL,MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO .SEEGER REFRIGERATOR COMPANY, OF ST. PAUL,MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA REFRIGERATOR DOOR Applicationfiled December 14, 1927. Serial No. 239,944.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a door so constructedas to give a strong body or frame portion which supports outer and innerenameled faces and this frame is adapted to form an insulation beplatesare held firmly tothe frame and the frame to the plates. Further,insulation is adapted to be supported between the plates in a manner soas to provide an eflicient insulating medium in the door of therefrigerator. Refrigerator doors not only must form an insulating mediumfor the refrigerator to close the openings of the same, but must be soconstructed as to be of a substantial nature to withstand the use towhich they are subjected and it is a feature of the invention to providea simple construction with smooth and readily cleansible inner and outersurfaces.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a means of attaching thebody frame of the door and the insulating material thereof rigidly withthe covering plates for the same. I provide a means of adjusting theconnection of these parts and attaching the same together.

These objects, and details of the invention will be more clearly andfully set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates my refrigerator door looking at the insidethereofand a portion of which is broken away.

Figure 2 is a cross section of my refrigera tor door on the line 22 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective of a detail portion of my refrigerator door.

Figure 4: is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail of one corner. ,of my refrigerator door showing aparticular con- 'struction.

Figure 6 is a detail of a corner showing another construction of mydoor.-

Figure 7 illustrates an inner view of antogether with other featuresother form of-my door,a portion of the inner facing of which is brokenaway.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a corner detail of a form of my door.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of F1gure'8. Figure 10 illustratesone form of connecting means for the frame of my door.

Figure 11 is another form of connection for my door, showing a detail ofa corner thereof.

Figure 12 is a section on the line 12-12 of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a perspective of the connection used in the constructionillustrated in Figures 11 and 12.

My refrigerator door A is formed with an insulating body frame B made upof members 10 and 11 which are adapted to be mitered together at thecorners in a suitable manner. The frame B is made of wood or othernonmetallic insulating material and the members 10 and 11 are providedwith rabbeted edges 12 of the ordinary nature which are adapted to fitin the door frame opening of a refrigerator.

The members 10 and 11 may be secured at their mitered corners bysuitable stapling members 13 which are driven into the wood across themitered joint in a manner to hold the members 10 and 11 rigidlyconnected together. In this manner the frame B is made up in arectangular nature of the right size to provide the frame B for the bodyof the door A.

My door A is provided with an outer face plate 15 which is formed ofmetal or other suitable material and is enameled to provide a smoothouter surface which may be readily cleansed. The face plate 15 is formedwith an inturned marginal edge 16 about the same. This inturned edgeforms a reinforcing and stiffening means about the plate 15 tostrengthen the plate and to provide the necessary rigidity to the same.

The face plate 15 is provided with cleats 18 which are formed with anoffset flange portion 19 adapted to be welded to the inner surface ofthe plate 15 to rigidly attach the cleat 18 projecting from the innersurface the face plates as to provide acleat for each corner of theplate and door. It is also obvious that only two of these cleats may beemployed for each door and face plate 15, and when only two are usedthen 1t is preferred that they be placed at the corners of the door A,opposite to the hinges G; the hinges 0 when attached to the door A beingadapted to engage the frame B to hold the same rigidly to the face plate15. Nevertheless, if it is preferred, as many of the cleats 18 as aredesirable can be used in attaching the frame B to the face plate 15. Theframe B is made up in its entirety before it is placed within the faceplate 15. After the frame B is made up a sheet of insulating material 24is placed over the inner surface of the face plate 15 and then the frameB is placed against the same. The reinforcing edge 16 extends about theframe B and the frame is held by means of the cleats 18 rigidly attachedto the face plate 15, by clinching the tongues 20 over in oppositedirections as illustrated in Figures 1, 5 and 6, to rigidly attach theframe B within and to the face plate 15. In attaching the frame B thesame is adapt 'ed to be held tightly against the plate 15 while thetongues 20 are clinched over. The hinges C also assist in holding theframe B to the plate 15 as the screws attaching the hinges penetrateinto the frame through the face plate 15.

The lock D also assists in holding the frame B within the plate 15 byvirtue of the fact that the screws that hold the lock in place extendthrough the plates 15 and into the frame B.

Within the frame B I place suitable insu lating material E in a mannerso as to provide the necessary insulation to the center of the door A.This insulation is bounded by the frame B which forms the necessaryrigidity to the door A. By this construction the major portion of thebody of the door may be made of a very good and substantial insulatingmaterial which ordinarily is not of a strong fibrous nature such as theframe B.

The frame B is provided with a recess 26 which extends about the frameand which is adapted to provide a receiving recess for the inner doorplate 28 so as to receive the inturned flanges 29 of the same in amanner so that suitable screws 30 may extend through the frame B and theflange 29 to hold the plate 28 rigidly connected to the frame B and in amanner to conceal the insulation E within the same.

The plates 15 and' 28 are covered with enamel having a heavy enameledouter surface to provide a smooth glass-like finish to the outside andthe inside of the door A. The plates 15 and 28 form the major area ofthe outside and inside of the door so that only the rabbeted'portion 12of the frame B is exposed. Thus the door A is formed with a smooth outerand inner surface which can be cleansed very readily and yetbeingfprovided with a substantial insulating body. The frame with theplates 15 and 28 form a solid door adapted to withstand heavy duty yethaving a comparatively light weight construction.

The door A may be made in the construction as illustrated in Figures 7to 13, inclusive, and in the construction illustrated in Figure 7 theframe B is adapted to be sup ported to the front outer plate 15 by theadjustable locking means F. The adjustable locking means F is formedwith a strap ortion 32 which has its end portions 33 weiiied to theinner surface of the plate 15, while the center portion is raised fromthe plate and provided with a slot 34. A bolt portion 35 having a headportion 36, together with a cleat strap 37 and an adjusting nut 38 isadapted to engage the strap 32 in a manner to lock the frame B asillustrated in section in Figure 9 to the plate 15.

The head portion 36 enters the slot 34 and is turned sufliciently tolock the head under the strap 32. The bolt 35 extends through an openingin the frame B and the cleat strap 37 is pinched down against themitered corners of the frame B to adjustably hold the frame B tightlywithin and to the plate 15.

I have also illustrated the adjustable holder G for the frame B which isillustrated in Figures 11 to 13, inclusive. In this form of the holdingmeans for the frame B' the bolt 40 is formed with a hook 41 whichengages the opening 42 of the connector 43 and the bolt 40 carries theattaching cleat strap 37 together with the securing nut 38. Theconnector 43 is welded to the inner surface of the plate 15, asillustrated in Figure 12. By means of this adjustable connector G theframe B is adjustably and rigidly secured to the inner surface of thelate 15.

These holders F and G? for the frame B are similar in function and areadapted to provide a means of rigidly securing the frame B within theouter plate 15 and also providing a means of tightening the frame Bwithin the plate 15, should the material of the frame B shrink in useand thus overcome any rattling within the door A.

The inside plate 28 is secured within the annular groove or recess 26 inthe same manner as it is held in the construction illustrated in Figure2. Thus the door A is made in a substantial manner with the frame Bsecured rigidly to the inside of the front plate 15 and the inside plate28 adapted to be rigidly secured to the frame B. Obviously the door A ineither of the constructions illustrated may be taken apart if it everbecomes necessary to do so and new insulating material placed therein,or the door frame B adjusted within the same, and this is a materialadvantage with the construction of my door A. It is also a materialadvantage to provide a means of making the door A wherein the frame Bcan be made up of the desired shape and nature so as to be readilyplaced within the outer plate 15 and also permitting the inner plate 28to be readily attached thereto.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principlesof operation and construction of my door and while I have illustrated aformation particularly preferred in so far as I know at this time, yet Idesire to have it understood that the same is only illustrative of ameans of carrying out my invention and that the same may be applied toother uses and carried out by other means within the scope of thefollowing claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A door including, an outer and an inner enameled plate, said outerplate having an. annular reinforcing edge formed thereabout, aninsulating flame having each side thereof of integral construction, andmeans for securing the inner plate with its edges extending into saidframe.

2. A refrigerator door comprising, inner and outer enameled smoothsurfaced plates, an insulating frame having each side thereof ofintegral construction interposed between said plates, means for securingsaid frame to one of said plates, and means for receiving and concealingthe annular edge of the other of said plates Within said frame.

3. A refrigerator door comprising, inner and outer enameled sheet metalplates, said outer plate having an annular beaded edge, cleats welded tothe inner surface of said outer plate, an insulating frame, said cleatsbeing adapted to secure said frame to said outer plate, insulatingmaterial within said frame, and means for securing said inner plate tosaid frame to conceal said insulating material between said inner andouter plates.

4. A door having inner and outer enameled plates, an insulating framehaving a rabbeted edge adapted to fit withinsaid outer plate,

means secured to. said outer plate adapted to adjustably lock said frameto said outer plate, anda receiving groove in said frame adaptedtorcceive the entire outer edge of,

said inner plate to conceal the same and means to secure the same tosaid frame.

5. A door comprising, an outer plate, cleats secured to the innersurface of said outer plate, an insulating frame supported by saidcleats, insulating material supported within said frame, and aninnerplate having its outer edge embedded within said frame adapted toconceal said insulating material.

6. A door including, inner and outer enameled faces, insulating meansinterposed between said faces to hold said faces separated one from theother, means within said insulating means for holding the same rigidlyattached to one of said plates, and means for securing the other of saidplates to said in.- sulating means.

7. A door including, inner and outer enameled faces, an insulating meansinterposed between said faces to hold said faces sep arated one fromanother, connecting means for holding one of said faces to saidinsulating means, and means for securing the other of said faces to saidinsulation to conceal said connecting means.

WALTER Gr. SEEGER.

